Hot Spot-type Questions offered via ExamSoft to learn Immunology

Abstract

Abstract There are many ways to promote meaningful student learning of Immunology. Hot Spot question format is a new type of active learning tool. It indicates that having planned repetition over an extended period of time leads to better retention by including images with text during instruction. This leads to long-term retention and improved student outcomes. In Hot Spot, users indicate the answer by clicking a specific area of an image. First year pharmacy students participated in a 3-hour long Immunology workshop. The students reviewed a video and handout explaining Hot Spot before coming to the workshop. Hot Spot questions containing basic Immunology were prepared for the workshop. A class of sixty two students were given ExamSoft online platform to take a pre-workshop quiz. The students were split into small learning groups and were given half an hour to discuss the pre-workshop content of basic Immunology. After half an hour, the students were randomly asked to pick up a partner to take ExamSoft quiz assessment again in pairs. The difference between pre- and post-workshop was that the students were paired in post-workshop quiz and were allowed to discuss concepts of Immunology with their partners. This pairing exercise and use of Hot Spot type assessment enhanced learning of basic concepts of Immunology and was evident from post-workshop quiz grades. The students not only did better on assessment grades but the post-workshop student feed back surveys also greatly commended this type of learning method. Therefore, we recommend learning basic Immunology through workshops, pairing of students and use of Hot Spot assessments. We also advocate teaching all basic pharmaceutical sciences via interactive educational tools for enhancing student learning.